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1/24 GEMINI 9A part 2


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58 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

That's a tubing cutter.  Most hardware stores should have them.

 

Also called pipe cutters. Some are designed specifically for plastic pipe/tubing. 

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This is what they look like Manfred ... and I bought these a few years ago at my local hardware store in the plumbing section.

This BIG one I use for larger diameter PVC piping, the middle one for both PVC and Copper piping ( if I need to repair some plumbing in the house ... ) and the little one for small diameter piping.

 

2v2EZHgrqxAnAAS.jpg

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For those with a burning thirst for knowledge, tubing is specified by inside diameter while pipe is specified by outside diameter.  This won't make a difference when hunting for a cutter.  I used both the smallest and middle cutters in Pete's photo when I worked at a chemical plant.

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13 hours ago, K2Pete said:

This is what they look like Manfred ... and I bought these a few years ago at my local hardware store in the plumbing section.

This BIG one I use for larger diameter PVC piping, the middle one for both PVC and Copper piping ( if I need to repair some plumbing in the house ... ) and the little one for small diameter piping.

 

2v2EZHgrqxAnAAS.jpg

 

Thanks Pete for the nice Tool show ... :worship:

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The thing one learns on this forum! ..... " ... tubing is specified by inside diameter while pipe is specified by outside diameter. " ... I did NOT know this!  :thumbsup:

 

 

Filled the BIG seam with styrene scraps ...

 

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I've been battling a bad chest cold and tried breathing in Putty fumes to help clear it out ...

 

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I bored out the RCS thruster holes in prep to install aluminum tubing to represent the thrusters themselves

 

2v2EQVq85xAnAAS.jpg

 

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But while inserting a tube or two I noticed that the holes I had just bored out were way-y-y- off ... What ... The ... Fudge? I still can't figure out how I did that.

And I had heard back from Revell of Germany that this item I asked them to replace was a cull item and could not be replaced, so I needed to build another RCS section from scratch ...

 

2v2EQLSGWxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

2 core circles from .040" styrene wrapped with a strip of .060" styrene and dipped in boiling water and bent

 

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and clamped ...

 

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While waiting for the clamping to cure, I added some washers that were sanded away  ...

 

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... and a dry fit so far ... 

 

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After the new RCS section is built, it's just cosmetic things left, gold foil in the Aft section, paint and decals ... and final assembly ... I should be able to complete this build in the next week or two.   :yahoo: and then participate in the 1st Moon Landing GB!

 

Thanx for looking in on this build gents!

Pete

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Well, this build is fighting me at just about every step. When I built this kit 10 years ago, there was a LOT more scratch building and it only took me 2 months. This time, YIKES, almost 6 months and I've still got some work to do on it!

 

I made the RCS section out of styrene ... clamped it up ... 

 

2v2EbTKrNxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

... and filled the minor seam with a strip of styrene. Filed it and sanded it 

 

2v2EbTKMnxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

... and almost as good as new!

 

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... masked it for priming ...

 

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... and then a coat of Gunmetal. Then I masked off the nose to spray a lighter tint on every other section of the nose.

 

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The closed hatch needed to be clamped down. There's a piece of foam between the clamp and the piece of wood to try to not marr the surface ...

 

2v2EbTK8GxAnAAS.jpg

 

It's getting there ... slow but sure!

 

Pete

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Edited by K2Pete
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Spaceman, I'm always amazed that two test pilots could spend 4 days or 14 days in this small, cramped, crowded space!

Wombat, I'm also doing this for a Group Build and the deadline is the 31st, 3 days from now!

Rocat, thanx for visiting!

 

 

I started foiling the Adapter. I used Rubber Cement, 2 sided, to adhere the gold material to the styrene.

 

2v2EKe4TqxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

... and just some touch ups to go on this ... the AMU has been installed too.

 

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... and with the handholds ...

 

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The decals will be a combination of the kit's and Rick Sternbach's 'Space Model Systems' decals

 

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The corrugations on the crew module will take some effort to get the decals to settle into 'em ...

 

2v2EKe4KGxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

... a little gentle persuasion ...

 

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... and they settled very nicely!

 

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With this kit being over 50 years old, it's still really nicely detailed!

 

I've got a few smallish things to get done, but they will take time ... like the EVA Astronaut and a Clear Flat coat on the Crew module ... but I've still got 3 days!  :whistle:

Pete

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Hey Pete, this is looking fantastic. I've used these decals on other Apollo and Gemini models and they are top notch 👌. The foil work looks very authentic. 

 

I'm reading Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Klugger at the moment. Very good so far. Whilst on Geminin 6 and 7 missions, Astronauts commented on the weathering of the space crafts entering orbit. They comment on flags and stencils being worn and charred.

 

Your doing awesome on this old kit, I'm glad you fixed up the RCS cluster. Great scratch building on that 😀

 

Kind regards Mick

Edited by ApolloMan
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Hey guys ... thanx very much! Rocat, Mick, cracker jazz!

Mick, I watched an interview with Mr Krugger a year or so ago ... and he's done his homework! ... 50 years ... simply, amazing!

 

CJ, I brushed on a local area of Future everywhere the decals would go. You can see a little shiny spot in the upper right of the last image ... that's where an access panel has a number.

 

This kit has a lotta decals ( from SMS ), but to say it improves the kit, is an understatement.

 

Pete

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Thanx gents! Rocat, Mick, Wombat, crackerjazz ... I do appreciate your positive comments!

 

Drifterdon, there's a modeller out there who has done superlative models, David Weeks, and his Geminis are my inspiration ... I can't hold a candle to his builds, but thank you just the same!   :thumbsup:

 

 

I've run into a minor, but time-consuming snag ... I still haven't been able to get a vac-form pull for the visor, and have an email in to Evergreen to ask about their styrene sheets, and wouldn't you know it, the guy responsible is off for the week. So the Astronaut out for a walk, the diorama aspect, is delayed

 

So, temporarily, I've made a visor out of Milliput ... I wrapped another figure with Parafilm and molded the Millput to the head.

 

2v2EK7npsxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

The Spacecraft, with open hatch, decals, antennae and Clear Flat coat ... is done.

 

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With the Astronaut on EVA but without the Oxygen providing umbilical line ... yet.

 

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The accompanying ATDA ( Augmented Target Docking Adapter ) was scratch built 10 years ago, and the Gemini, done at the same time, was sold to a collector, so the main reason for this build was to get these two paired up again

 

2v2EK7GrrxAnAAS.jpg

 

I'll finish this up real soon ... 

 

 

 

Made the visor out of Milliput, here I'm just trimming it after waiting for 14 hours for it to be workable ...

 

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The Umbilical line was a piece of insulated copper wire that I wrapped First Aid tape around ... then painted Flat White.

 

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... then had to figure out how to fix it to the EVA astronaut ........ that Milliput visor doesn't look too bad ...  :woot.gif:

 

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... and except for one small part that fell off during photography, it's DONE!

 

2v2EKSdRyxAnAAS.jpg

 

 

... the part that fell off you can see on the Umbilical, it's the Tether Guide that affixes to the aft end to prevent tangling on a Thruster ...

 

2v2EKSd7dxAnAAS.jpg

 

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... and here's a couple of Beauty Shots ... then I'll have to glue down that Tether Guide better!   :whistle:

 

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Thanx a lot guys for following along! I hope to see you all in the upcoming 50th Anniversary Lunar Landing Group Build!

Pete

Edited by K2Pete
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BEAUTIFUL job Pete. I'm continuously amazed at your ability to take a basic kit and make a museum quality work of art. You're scratch building skills are top notch.

 

Ok, now you've wrapped up the Gemini program, time to head to the moon baby!

 

Bill

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